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Ferrero Completes Acquisition Of Nestle USA Confectionery Business

FINDEL, Luxembourg The Ferrero Group and its affiliated companies reports that it has completed the acquisition of Nestlé USA's confectionery business.

April 4, 2018

FINDEL, Luxembourg - The Ferrero Group and its affiliated companies reports that it has completed the acquisition of Nestlé USA's confectionery business. The transaction, which was announced last fall, brings more than 20 famous American candy brands to Ferrero.

Included in Ferrero's acquisition are the celebrated Butterfinger, Baby Ruth, 100 Grand, Raisinets and Wonka brands, as well as the exclusive right to the Crunch brand for confectionery and certain categories in the U.S., as well as sugar brands including SweeTarts, LaffyTaffy, and Nerds.

Nestlé USA's three confectionery manufacturing facilities in Illinois and associated office space in California will be managed by Ferrara Candy Co., which was acquired by a Ferrero-affiliated company in 2017.

"We are pleased to welcome Nestlé USA's confectionary brands and its talented employees to Ferrero," said Ferrero Group executive chairman Giovanni Ferrero. "This outstanding portfolio of iconic brands with rich histories and tremendous brand awareness is a strong addition to Ferrero's growing U.S. platform, which includes the recently acquired Ferrara Candy Co. and Fannie May Confections brands. With our substantially increased scale and broader offering of high-quality products across the chocolate snack, sugar confectionary and seasonal categories, Ferrero is poised for continued growth in the key U.S. market."

Ferrero Group chief executive officer Lapo Civiletti added, "This is an important moment for the Ferrero Group, and we are confident that our commitment to deliver value to North American consumers and customers will be strongly enhanced by the addition of these powerful brands to our portfolio."

Founded as a family business in Alba, Italy in 1946, Ferrero is the third-largest company in the global chocolate confectionery market. With global sales of over $12 billion, the company maintains distribution across over 170 countries and employs more than 30,000 people across 55 countries.

Ferrero entered the U.S. in 1969 with Tic Tac breath mints, which have become an icon in the breath mint market, and subsequently introduced Ferrero Rocher pralines and Nutella hazelnut spread to the U.S. market. Now the third-largest U.S. confectionery company, Ferrero recently acquired U.S. chocolate company Fannie May Confections brands, which through its Fannie May and Harry London brands provides offerings across key categories including chocolate bars, pralines and other snacks. Another key acquisition was Ferrara Candy Co., a leader in gummy and seasonal confections with brands such as Trolli, Brach's and Black Forest.